UK regulator refers Viasat-Inmarsat merger for in-depth probe
FILE PHOTO: Satellite model is placed on Viasat logo in this picture illustration taken April 4, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
LONDON -Britain's competition regulator said on Friday that it had referred Viasat's $7.3 billion takeover of satellite rival Inmarsat for an in-depth investigation, raising chances of the deal getting delayed.
The decision comes a week after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised concerns that the merger between the American company and Britain-based Inmarsat could hamper competition and lead to airlines facing higher prices for on-board wifi.
The watchdog said it referred the deal for further investigation because the merger has resulted or might be expected to result in a "substantial lessening of competition within a market or markets" in the UK, based on the information it currently has.
